Structural edge rails



s shuts-sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 m s u .n 4 m INVENTOR. MORTON JESSUP ROSE 95am A TTO/P/VEV Dec. l0, 1963 M. J. ROSE STRUCTURAL EDGE RAILS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR. MORTON JESSUP ROSE BY g Dec. 10,r 1963 M. J. ROSE STRUCTURAL EDGE RAILS 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR. MORTON JESSUP ROSE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,113,401 STRUCTURAL EDGE RAILS Morton Jessup Rose, 209 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 8, 196i), Ser. No. 48,220 1 Claim. (Cl. Sil-194) This invention concerns an improved roof and wall panel structure.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide roof and wall panels with cores yformed `of ifoamed plastic material such as polystyrene, cellular honeycombs, etc. These panels are intended to resist horizontal shear forces due to bending and compressive stresses from bearing forces at points of support. Such panels have stressed skin construction overlaying both sides of the panels. Use of such foamed plastic material and honeycombs, etc., is very desirable because of its structural ability, basic lightness in weight, chemical stability, resistance to mildew, moisture and aging and other desirable characteristics. A fundamental disadvantage is high cost of the closed cell foam plastic material.

The present invention is directed at providing a panel structure which can employ less expensive core fillers between stressed skin layers by incorporating novel edge rails within the panel. The rails are adapted Vfor edgetoedge, panel-to-panel assembly to form a complete root or wall. The rails also may serve as -roof joists or wall studs. They further serve to relieve the core material from primary load bearing functions so that substantial reductions in strengths of core materials are possible. As a result, considerable savings in cost of fabrication are effected due to the less critical `structure required for the core material. The use of the edge rails permit panels to be fabricated for spanning predetermined lengths yor widths, at less cost tha-n panels of the same span employing heavy density plastic cores and high strength honeycomb structures. The present invention enables the stressed skin panel structures to be formed which can support greater compressive loads at higher ambient temperatures than previous plastic core panels of the `same size, and at less fabrication cost.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a novel stressed skin sandwich roof and wall panel structure.

It is another object to provide a novel edge rail structure for use in roof and wall panels.

It is a `further object to provide a novel interconnection system for edge rails in a panel structure.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features tof the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. l is a perspective view of -a portion of a roof and wall panel according 4to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View of a portion of a roof and wall structure including a plurality of panels assembled in edge-to-edge array.

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of one edge rail according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another edge rail.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a batten strip employed in the panel assembly.

FIG. 7 is a sectional View similar to FIG. 3 showing a corner assembly of panels.

Referring to FIGS. l, 2 and 3, there is shown the basic roof or wall panel structure or panel `lil including a ilat generally rectangular core I11 which may be foamed plas- 3,113,401 Patented Dee. 10, 1963 tic, lFiberglas, rock wool or other core filler. Opposite sides of the core may be covered with rigid sheets 12 and 14 of metal, tempered hardboard, plywood, or the like, providing a stressed skin structure. Sheet 12 is shown formed of berboard and sheet 14 of metal. The sheets are bonded to the core by layers of glue or cement 116, 18, and form the sides of the roof and wall panel structure. If the lsheets or the core materials are made of thermosetting or thermoplastic substances, they may be attached by known dielectric welding and fusing methods so that the cement laye-rs may be omitted. A-t one edge of the panel is provided a metal rail 20. This rail, as best shown in FIG. 5, is an integral member of the panel. It has two thick, ila-t, rectangular parallel walls 22, 24 which fit into recesses 26, 23 formed in the `core and abut the outer sheets 12, 14, respectively. Thinner rectangular webs 30, 32 are disposed in coplanar arrangement and extend perpendicularly to the respective walls 22, 24. Rectangular webs 35, 36 are disposed at obtuse angles to webs 3i), 32 and extend inwardly of the panel to define a longitudinal channel structure. Central rectangular web 38 joins webs 35, '36. The rail including its integrally joined webs and walls may be formed by extrusion by known metal working methods in eX- tended lengths. Sheets 12 and 14 are cemented or otherwise fused to the walls 22, 24.

At the other edge of the panel is another metal rail 40 which may be yformed by extrusion. This rail, as best shown in :FIG 4, has thick rectangular parallel walls 412, '44 embedded in recesses 43, 45' of the core 11. A single rectangular web 46 is disposed perpendicular to walls 42, 44 and joins them in a rigid channel structure. Webs 48 and 50 extend outwardly from web 46 in obtuse angular disposition thereto and are joined by a web 52 whose width is less than the spacing of the webs 48, 5i) at their lines .of junction to the web 46.

Webs 48, 50, 52 define a lfurther channel structure adapted to t into the recessed channel structure deiined by webs 35, *36, 3S as clearly shown in FIG. 3. Rectangular recesses 54, 56 may be formed in the outer side of sheet 12 if this is to form an interior wall surface. These recesses may then receive tapes 58 and plaster or spackling 62 to form a taped joint system between adjacent panels :16 disposed in coplanar edge-to-edge array as shown in FIG. 3.

The invention contemplates a batten structure 7i) for joining two adjacent panel structures 10i. Batten member 70, best shown in IFIG. 6, is a channel-shaped member with side walls 72, 74 disposed perpendicularly to outer connecting wall 76. A centrally disposed web 75 extends yfrom wall 76. This web is wider than side walls 72, 74 and terminates in a thinned, tapered edge 78. This edge 78 fits between abutted walls 2id and 414 and serves as a spacer member to provide space S between the rails. This space is necessary to permit expansion of the panels and rails due to temperature changes, to provide space for receiving anchoring portions 62a of the plaster or spackling in the taped joint system and to anchor the batten member.

The edges 73', 75' of side walls 72, 74 abut the outer sides of sheets .14. Rubber or resilient plastic sealing gasket strips 80 are inserted in the channels defined by the walls of the hatten member and the sheets 14.

It will be apparent from visual inspection of the roof and wall panel structure described that the edge rails 20 and 4d absorb the major part `of any vertical compressive stresses which may be applied to the panel. Horizontal compressive stresses will be resisted by the rigid inner and outer sheets 12 and 14, respectively. These sheets in cooperation with the edge rails absorb bending and torsional stresses. The core material. is substantially relieved of the load bearing function performed in prior plastic core and cellular honeycombed wall panels.

The nested arrangement of the rails as shown in FIG. 3 provides :a very strong beam structure which can support much higher roof loads than prior panel structures of the same size, and at lower cost for fabrication.

@In FIIG. 7, the same edge nail and joint structure previously described is employed `and corresponding parts are identically numbered. FIG. 7 shows panel y10a adapted to form an angular corner stnucture for connection to panels 10. Core 1-1a is right-angled in cross section, as are inner and outer sheets I12a and 114g. Adhesive layers 116a and 1i8a secure the sheets to the cone llrla and walls 22, 24, 42, 44 of `the edge rails.

While -I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and `that various changes and modioations may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

IHaving thus described my invention, what I claim as fr iew, `and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, fis; A roof and wall structure comprising a plurality of panels disposed in edgetofedge array, each of said panels including a pair of ilat, rectangular rigid sheets disposed in sp-paced parallel, aligned array, a pair of rails joining said sheets at opposite end edges thereof, and a core of filler material filling the space between the Irails and the sheets,

said sheets yhaving inner surfaces bonded to the core, said core having a stilness less than that of the sheets and rails so that the sheets and rail `absorb substantially all compressive, shear and torsional forces :applied to the panel, one of the nails being for-med with flat parallel walls abutting inner sides of lthe sheets and disposed in corner recesses formed in the core, a pair of webs extending perpendicular to said Walls in coplan-ar disposition, a second pair f Webs respectively extending at obtuse angles to the webs of the Ifirst pair, and a centrally disposed lweb joining said second pair of webs to define therewith a channel at one edge of the core, the other of said rails being formed with thick ilat panalllel walls abutting the inner sides of the sheets and disposed in corner recesses in the core, arectangular Web joining the thick walls and a protnuding channel formed on the exterior of said rectangular web, said protruding channel including two sides disposed at obtuse angles to said nectangullar lweb, and a central web joining said two sides, the other rail of each panel being nested and spaced from the one rail of the next panel in the array, and means securing the panels together with a predetermined edge-to-edge spacing, said means comprising a batten member having a batteri wall bridging spaced end edges of each pair of panels at one side thereof, and a central web extending from the hatten Wall into the space between end edges of the panels, gasket members disposed between the batteri Wall and the one side of the panels, said means further comprising `a tape extending across spaced end edges of each pair of panels at the other side thereof, `and plaster means securing the tape and anchored in the spaces between end edges of the panels, said other side of each panel being formed with a recess receiving said tape and plaster means to form a joint ush with the remainder ot the other side of each panel.

References Cited in the iileV of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4,657,332 Absmeier Jan. 24, 1928 1,998,448 Crowe Apr. 23, 1930 2,270,672 Heeren Jan. 20, 1942 2,414,628 Battin Iran. 21, 1947 2,651,391 Havens Sept. 8, 1953 2,791,301 Proctor IMay 7, 1957 2,845,150 McBerty July 29, 1958 2,927,665 Hanf Mar. 8, 1960 2,963,825 Douglas Dec. 13, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,274 Italy Mar, 26, 1955 

